THE HARRIER
The world's first vertical take-off fighter to be used in combat is Britain's
remarkable Harrier. Used during the Falkland Islands dispute early in 1982 it
had the unique ability to rise vertically from the ground, or even in
mid-flight, gives this fighting machine a great advantage in a conventional
dog-fight.
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The secret of the
Harrier's unexcelled manoeuvrability rests in the construction of its power
plant. Instead of a single tail-pipe directing the engine thrust straight back,
the Harrier's engine uses four swiveling outlets on the fuselage sides. The two
forward nozzles deflect cold air from the huge compressor fan, while the two
rear nozzles discharge the hot jet exhaust. The position of these four nozzles
determine the direction the Harrier will fly. Careful use of the throttle by the
pilot can increase or decrease the trust to equal the weight of the plane.
When
the trust equals the weight, the Harrier can stand still in the air!
Under zero-airspeed, or very slow flight mode, the Harrier uses small jet like
thrusters in the wing tips, nose and tail for control. In normal flight,
conventional control surfaces are used. As a conventional fighter, the Harrier's
performance is comparable to contemporary subsonic fighters and is able to
exceed Mach 1.3 in a dive.
The Kit: The venerable Revell
1:32 (1982) release of the BAe (Hawker) Harrier (GR-1, GR-1A and GR-3 early.
Depending on the power plant). Built out of box (with recess panel lines) and
hand brush painted with Model Master Enamels. Marking are for No.3 Squadron.
Thanks for viewing and "Happy Modeling".
Plastic John
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